Connections
by the-writer1988
Summary: A collection of missing scenes from the MCU, from the first Iron Man film until the end of Civil War. Ch3: Tony is rescued in Afghanistan.
1. Chapter 1: The Kidnapping (IM1)

**So this is my first foray into Marvel… This story is set in the Movie-verse and basically fills in the scenes that were not seen in the movies. For example the first four chapters of this fic are scenes that are not covered in the first Iron Man film. It's called 'Connections' because eventually later chapters dealing with other MCU films will mention events in earlier chapters. This fic will include all the other Avengers which is why I am posting it in this section.**

 **I'm not sure about posting this as it's a new fandom for me… So feedback would be appreciated!**

* * *

 **Title: Connections**

 **Author: the-writer1988**

 **Rating: K+ (could raise to a T)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of the associated characters.**

 **Summary:** Missing scenes from the MCU, from the first Iron Man film until the end of Civil War.

* * *

 **Connections**

 **One: The Kidnapping**

He couldn't believe what had just happened.

He'd only been five minutes behind.

In five minutes everything had gone spectacularly wrong.

When they finally caught up to the rest of the military convey, Lieutenant Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes flung open the passenger door to the Humvee, grabbing a gun on his way out, followed by the rest of the men he had been travelling with.

Two Humvee's had been destroyed whilst the others had been littered with bullet holes. Bodies lay scattered amongst the land, their guns lying next to them. Rhodey breathed sharpish. Everyone was dead. His eyes found the Humvee his friend had been travelling in. It hadn't been destroyed but there were multiple bullet shots through the bodywork. The three soldiers that had been tasked to protect Tony Stark were dead beside the vehicle, killed instantly they exited it, their blood staining the side of it.

He knew what the outcome would be. If everyone else was dead…

Rhodey made his way over to the Humvee, accompanied by the other soldiers, all of whom held their guns up, gesturing around, looking for any sign of the attackers. Rhodey reached forward and grasped the handle of the Humvee and pulled it open. His friend was not there.

The seat was empty and the glass that the billionaire carried with him was shattered on the floor. The portable radio was in pieces.

"Tony?" Rhodey asked weakly. Where was he?

"Colonel!" a voice shouted out to him from behind.

Rhodey turned away from the Humvee and looked towards the solider who was gesturing at him from behind a pile of rocks situated just two hundred metres away from the road. He hurried over, rounding the rocks, expecting to see a body but he didn't.

Tony's phone lay abandoned in the sand, speckled with blood. He never went anywhere without it. Small shards of metal lay in the dust. A rocket had exploded here. A large patch of blood was stained into the earth. A body had lain here. Rhodey swallowed. Footsteps, mostly covered now by the whirling sand in the air, had dragged a body away.

"They took him," stated Rhodey calmly. He was a soldier. He couldn't let his emotions get the best of him. He tried to follow the footsteps but the sand in the air had already settled, obscuring the tracks. He had to think, he had to command. "We need to find Tony. I'll alert Bagram Air Base. Everyone get to work!"

* * *

Making the call back to Bagram Air Base was one of the most difficult things Rhodey had ever had to do. He knew it wouldn't be the hardest. Breaking the news to Pepper would be the worst. But he had to report. The plane due to take Stark back to America had been on standby to fly him back. Now he had to stand it down. He stepped aside as the rest of the soldiers began to work on tracing the now vanished footsteps, opening his radio and calling back to base.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes reporting to base. We have a situation, over."

"What is the nature of the situation, Colonel, over?" the reply came quick and brisk.

Rhodey breathed deeply. "There's been an ambush. The convoy escorting Mr Tony Stark back to base has been attacked. All the soldiers are dead. Tony is… missing."

* * *

It was late evening and Pepper was just getting ready for bed when her phone rang. She wasn't expecting a call but she knew Tony would have completed his weapon's demonstration in Afghanistan by now. She glanced at the caller ID before answering. Rhodey. Odd. She shrugged it off and answered.

"Pepper? Is it okay to talk to you?"

Pepper frowned. Rhodey sounded shaken. "It is… Are you okay? What has Tony done?" She could only think her boss must have done something to make Rhodey sound uneasy.

"No… no…" Rhodey replied hastily. "Are you sitting down?"

Pepper had the distinct impression something was _wrong._ "Rhodey? Please tell me! What is going on?" Before he could ask her the same question again, she snapped: "Yes, I am sitting down!"

"Pepper…"

He struggled to find the right words, she could tell.

"Something happened…"

"Is Tony…?"

Rhodey came right out and said it. "Tony's missing, Pepper."

She blinked, mouth hanging open in shock at his words. She had not expected him to say _that_. She leaned back on the bed.

"On the way back to base…" Rhodey began slowly. "Tony left with the first part of the convoy… They were ambushed…"

"Rhodey…" Pepper wanted to interrupt. This couldn't be happening. It had to be some elaborate joke the two of them had cooked up.

"We were behind them by five minutes… They killed all the soldiers, Pepper, and took Tony. It was terrorists, Pepper. We're trying to find him, bring him home… but I had to tell you first, before anyone else… I'm sorry…" Rhodey fell silent.

Pepper didn't know what to say. She burst into tears, clutching the phone to her chest. She didn't disconnect the call but couldn't speak as grief overwhelmed her. She curled up on the bed and let the tears slide down her cheeks.

All the while, Rhodey remained on the other end of the line in Afghanistan, listening to her, knowing he needed to be there when she could finally speak.

 **-End-**

* * *

 **The next missing scenes are set dealing with the reaction to Tony's kidnapping.**

 **I am aware there is a deleted scene in Iron Man which shows Rhodey during the attack on the convey but in a tie-in comic which I have read about places him as arriving after Tony's kidnapping. I think this is a more accurate version of events because I find it difficult to believe terrorists would be able to kidnap Tony from the convey if Rhodey had been there, especially since, based on where Tony is injured by the missile shards that he lands on the side of the convey where the terrorists are not attacking from. To get to him they'd have to get around the stationed vehicles and then take him, after killing everyone in the convey. And we do see in the film Tony's Humvee drive off before Rhodes gets to his so I think it is reasonable to assume this is a more accurate version of events.**

 **I don't know how often I will update this but I hope to keep a semi-regular posting schedule. I have other ideas for other films throughout the MCU. I'm only new to the MCU so if my characterisations are off please let me know as I want to get the characters right and accurate. I haven't read any of the comics so please do not expect any references to that medium. I am working solely from what I have seen in the films.**

 **The only MCU film I have not seen yet is 'The Incredible Hulk' so, at the moment, I will not be able to include any filler scenes from that. If anyone has any other ideas of scenes they would like to see, please let me know and I will consider inserting them in!**

 **the-writer1988**


	2. Chapter 2: Reactions (IM1)

**A/N) Thank you for the comments everyone! Here is the next missing scenes segments... dealing with how the people in Tony's life dealt with his kidnapping in the three months he was missing.**

* * *

 **Two: Reactions**

They succeeded in keeping Tony Stark's kidnapping from the media for a week before the press caught on to Tony not attending the relevant functions he usually did. Nor was he out partying and picking up any girl he could. Not even the shareholders had been informed. The only person in Stark Industries, other than Pepper Potts, who was aware of Tony's true situation, was Obadiah Stane, his business partner.

Despite the news of the CEO's kidnapping, Stane kept a public face the very next day, keeping the company running whilst the search for Tony continued. He gave Pepper Potts leave, though she swiftly returned three days later, unable to cope on her own and knowing that working would be good for her. It didn't prevent Pepper from contacting Rhodey every day to get an update on the search.

In the week following Tony's disappearance the business carried on turning.

And then the news broke.

* * *

Pepper always checked her phone first thing in the morning. She had specifically instructed Rhodey to phone her, whatever the time, as soon as they had news of her boss. She didn't want to be the last to know. However there was nothing on her phone. She would phone Rhodey later for an update.

Pepper rose from her bed. She wasn't staying in her apartment, no, she was sleeping in Tony's house. Stane had suggested she stay there, at least that way she would be closer to the business side of things and she could be on hand if any ransom notice came through. It surprised and worried her no such demand had come yet.

She rarely spoke to JARVIS though he always said good morning to her. She sighed as she slowly ate breakfast, not really feeling hungry but she had to keep up her strength. She switched the TV on and the first thing that appeared was Tony's face. She gasped in surprise.

Then the newsreaders voice echoed over the picture.

"BREAKING NEWS: Tony Stark, CEO of Stark industries, kidnapped during a weapon's demonstration in Afghanistan."

She listened to the report, forgetting her breakfast.

"Statements from both the US Foreign Office and Stark Industries confirm the kidnapping of Tony Stark from the military convoy he was travelling in after a weapon's demonstration last week. There were a number of casualties during the attack. Relatives of those killed have since been informed. It is understood that Mr Stark was on his way back to base when his convoy was set upon by insurgents. A number of military vehicles arrived five minutes later, in which during that time, Tony Stark had already been taken. There have not been any demands released from his kidnappers. There are numerous terrorist organisations operating within Afghanistan. It is unknown at present which group is responsible. More on this breaking news story will follow…"

Pepper switched off the screen, not wanting to watch anymore. She picked up her phone and immediately dialled straight through to Obadiah. He picked up immediately and Pepper didn't wait for him to speak before barrelling straight forth with what she wished to say.

"When did you confirm Tony's kidnapping? How is the board taking it?" She wanted to ask more but stopped herself.

Stane sighed over the phone. "It was leaked late last night. The media agreed not to report it until statements had been written and released. I have not had an update on the search. I believe they are searching for the group that took Tony. Quite a few operate out there and they need to determine which one was responsible. The board are concerned. I briefed them last night when I knew the news would be released globally today. Already our shares have dropped by ten percent since the news broke twenty minutes ago. But the company will recover. We will keep trading. Tony isn't dead, Pepper. We would know if he was."

Pepper nodded. She knew that.

"All we can do is wait."

* * *

One of the worst things that occurred due to Tony's kidnapping was the media reaction to it.

The papers tore Tony to pieces but they also celebrated his life and his contribution to the American Defence.

Pepper kept an up-to-date inventory of all the articles issued in the coming days and weeks. It didn't surprise Pepper that Christine Everhart, the _Vanity Fair_ reporter that Tony had slept with the eve before his journey to Afghanistan, was the one behind the majority of negative reports regarding Tony. She seemed to imply his kidnapping was karma for his role in the death of civilians in the war zones in which they were deployed. Pepper made a mental note to keep an eye on the reporter. If she kept this tirade up she would be setting herself up for a law-suit when Tony returned. Pepper would not allow herself to believe otherwise.

Flowers began to appear at the front gates of Stark Industries Headquarters over the coming weeks as even the Ministry of Defence lost hope in ever finding Tony Stark alive. The lack of communication from the terrorists caused the belief that he was dead. Why hold a multi-billionaire captive if they were not going to ransom him? But Tony wasn't just rich. He was a genius. And a world-renowned weapons developer.

The silence didn't deter Pepper from believing her boss still lived.

As the weeks turned into months, Pepper continued keeping Tony's affairs in order whilst Obadiah kept the company afloat. It was the least both could do whilst they waited for Tony to be found.

* * *

When Rhodey had phoned him to break the news of Tony's kidnapping, Obadiah had feigned being upset, had said the right words and hoped that Tony would be found. Inwardly he had been pleased with the development as it had been he who had ordered the hit on Stark. Unfortunately it seemed the terrorists had not killed Stark as they were supposed to, instead choosing to kidnap him instead.

When negotiating with Raza, Obadiah had not named the business partner he had wanted them to kill. It seemed likely that the Ten Rings had realised who his business partner was and had decided to capture rather than kill. He was sure they would be in contact.

For now he would take-over the company and keep it running whilst Rhodey ran about Afghanistan looking for his lost friend. He would keep Pepper on as Tony's PA for another few months while Tony's affairs were set in order before offering her a position in his own office.

Obadiah doubted they would ever find Tony Stark. He may yet still live, but he wouldn't survive to leave Afghanistan. Whatever the terrorists wanted Stark for they wouldn't get it from him. Stark would rather die.

He did have some regret about setting Tony up. He was the reason Stark Industries was able to remain on top of the field in Research and Development. A brilliant mind like Tony Stark's shouldn't be wasted however he was reaping all the rewards for designing new ideas whilst Obadiah did the work for him. If Howard hadn't written it into his Will that Tony was to inherit the position of CEO then Stane may have been able to hold onto the company himself. Tony had been the thorn in his side for years.

But Tony had come to claim the throne of Stark Industries once he had turned twenty-one. Obadiah had hated him for it, and had taken him under his wing, hoping to steer him in the direction Obadiah wished the company to go. But Stark had been a one cannon missile. He was reckless and a self-obsessed party boy who didn't deserve to inherit the company that Stane had helped Howard Stark develop from the ground up.

He knew he had to wait until Stark Industries was at the top of the game and far ahead in weapons development than any other business before trying to dispose of Tony. It may have taken twenty years but he was finally there. He wasn't about to let Tony's survival change that. If, by some miracle, he did return, then Obediah would be ready for him.

Ordering the hit on Tony Stark had just been one way of going about it.

He would get his company back.

 **-End-**

* * *

 **A/N) I'm not too sure on Obadiah here. He certainly wanted the business and sacrificed Tony to get it. I think he may have cared for Tony at one point but it turned to resentment over the years.**

 **The next missing scenes segment will deal with Tony being found and lead up to his return to US soil. Tony wasn't flown home straight away so I want to cover that portion after Tony's rescue and during his recovery. After that I intend to move onto the end of the film and bridge the gap between IM1 and IM2.**

 **I hope to post the next part soon.**

 **the-writer1988**


	3. Chapter 3: Rescued (IM1)

**A/N) This chapter was quite difficult to write so it has taken me a bit longer to write. My apologies for the delay.**

* * *

 **Three**

Their sensors had picked up several explosions in quick succession, deep within the territory dominated by the Ten Rings. It was an area of the Afghan desert they had never been able to infiltrate due to the intense insurgent activity in the area. It was also the rumoured area of where the main base of the Ten Rings was located but since the military had never been able to penetrate the area, the intelligence had never been confirmed.

High velocity explosions were rare. As a result the US army had received permission to go in and investigate with both ground and air support. Ground support stayed a few miles away whilst the helicopters flew on ahead to scout out the area. Once the area had been deemed safe, ground support moved in. Whilst ground support scouted out the hidden base they had found at the source of the explosion, the helicopters were now flying off in different directions to look for any escaped survivors that may have made it into the desert.

Rhodey stood in the helicopter, scouting out the terrain below, heading away from the streams of smoke pouring forth from the base at the mountain peninsula. His eyes drifted out across the vast expanse of desert. If there were any survivors they hadn't found any so far. They were flying low as well, so as not to miss anything. But sand covered tracks fast. If anyone had survived the explosions then any tracks would be hidden by now unless they…

"Sir, look!" the voice next to him belonged to an infantry soldier. He was pointing towards a figure who was stumbling along in the sand below, looking exhausted but as soon as the helicopters flew over him, the figure stopped and started waving up at them, yelling for their attention.

Rhodey didn't allow himself to have any hope as to who the figure could be. It was likely to be an insurgent who had escaped from the explosions they had just flown over. Clearly they were desperate to be found. "We need to land. Whoever they are, even if they are not a friendly, could provide us with valuable information." He still hadn't given up hope of finding Tony alive. It had been three months since that fateful day and they had found no hide or hair of him.

Before the helicopter had grounded, Rhodey leapt from deck, landing in the sand, running forward, accompanied by three other soldiers, guns raised on the figure, who was kneeling in the sand now, arms limp at his sides. A turban of some sort was wrapped around his head. There was something shining blue on the man's shirt but as Rhodey ran closer his eyes widened in relief when he recognised the figure.

Tony Stark was almost unrecognisable. He was filthy; blood splattered all over his body and the thin garments he wore. There were numerous cuts and burns on his face and both arms – Rhodey was sure he would be hiding more injuries. As he neared, many different words flashed through his mind but none of them seemed right for this occasion.

"How was the fun-vee?" It probably wasn't the best question to ask him. In the three months since his disappearance, Rhodey had replayed that conversation over and over, not wanting to forget the last words he had traded with his best friend. He regretted not trying harder to get Tony to come with him. He was relieved when Tony just laughed harshly and quietly, so different from his usual manner. The voice was weak but Rhodey dropped to his knees and pulled his long lost friend into a hug.

Tony leaned into him. A further, desperate laugh that sounded like he was almost crying came forth but no tears flowed from Tony Stark's eyes.

Rhodey swallowed the lump in his throat. "Next time, you ride with me, okay?" _There won't be a next time._ He couldn't believe his friend was here. Was alive.

Tony Stark was _alive_.

* * *

It was when Rhodey began to lead Tony to the helicopter that one of the soldiers noticed the blue light emanating from the middle of Tony's chest. Rhodey had been so wrapped up in finding his friend alive he hadn't thought to question the device that seemed to be attached to his friend's chest. He hadn't really noticed it either despite the shining glow and the fact Tony's shirt was ripped around it.

The soldiers had not lowered their guns until Tony had explained it was something he had made himself and that he 'needed it'. They had been wary of letting him onto the helicopter just in case Tony was lying. Rhodey couldn't blame them. His friend had been in captivity for three months. All he wanted to do was go home. Tony was putting on a brave face, a mask, but one that Rhodey could see was slipping as he sat next to the stretcher his friend had been forced to lay on by the on-board medic.

Rhodey glanced down at Tony. His eyes were closed and his chest rose slowly as he seemed to visibly relax. An IV had been hooked up to his arm and his blood pressure was being monitored. It was the most the medics could do until they returned to base. "Is he going to be okay?"

The medic – Johnson – looked up sharply. "He has severe dehydration and from what I can see he has _suffered_ injuries. I cannot do a full assessment until we are back at base. But, for now, I am certain he will live." The medic's eyes focused briefly upon the shiny blue light emanating from the billionaire's chest. "I am not sure what that device does. I cannot examine him properly without knowing first what it is. Or if we can remove it."

Rhodey knew Tony was likely to clamp up, stay quiet rather than discuss anything private. He didn't like the thought of his friend being tortured or experimented on. If this device in his chest was some sort of experiment… He shook his head. He couldn't dwell on it now. "I think it would be best if you let me talk to him first… I know Tony well enough to know what his reaction will be."

The medic nodded.

Reaching down to his belt, Rhodey detached the radio. He hadn't yet radioed in they were returning to base. "Hutchings!" He called over to the pilot. "How far out are we?"

"ETA forty-five minutes, Colonel," the pilot responded sharply.

Bringing the radio up to this mouth, Rhodey activated the signal and spoke over the receiver. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes to base, over."

"What is the nature of the situation, Colonel? Over." The reply was instantaneous. The same words were always used upon contact with the base. Procedure had to be followed.

"We are returning to base with an ETA of forty-five minutes. We have picked up an interesting package a few miles west of the area of interest." He took a deep breath. "We have found Tony Stark. Alive." Before he could say anything else the person on the other end broke protocol, and even Rhodey could hear the cheers in the background from the communications hub. The odds of finding Tony alive had been dropping every single day. "We will need a medical team standing by. He is walking wounded only." He halted for a brief moment, wondering whether to request the next thing. He wanted to trust Tony that the thing in his chest wasn't an explosive. "I would like to request Lieutenant Derek to be standing by when we land as well." He had to take the precaution.

"Understood, sir. Base out."

* * *

The rest of the journey was held in silence. Tony fell into sleep as Rhodey watched over him, only waking as the helicopter landed. He refused to be carried down from the helicopter on a stretcher, claiming he was not an invalid, only injured. Rhodey knew better than to argue with him. There was no procession to meet him just General Gabriel and the personnel Rhodey had requested to meet with them on the airstrip.

Once Tony was settled in the medical unit, Rhodey was admitted to his room, where he found him sitting up in bed, still hooked up to an IV lead. The doctors had come and gone and now Rhodey needed to do the hard part. He'd had to convince his superiors to allow him to talk to Tony. It was against procedure but he knew his friend. And they needed to know what the metal in his chest was. It had been determined by Lieutenant Derek that it was not a bomb at least. Tony had allowed the man to look at it, not touch it.

"It's good to see you, Tony," said Rhodey. There was hollowness in his cheeks that hadn't been there before and he looked starved. His lips were cracked from dehydration and what skin he could see was covered in bruises and lacerations, suggesting that Tony hadn't escaped from his captivity unscathed. "How are you feeling?"

"I survived," shrugged Tony, not breaking eye contact.

"I know you don't want to do this but we have to know… That thing in your chest…" Rhodey trod carefully. Tony had already guessed as to why his friend was here. He wasn't just there to see him; Rhodey was there to question him too. "What is it?"

Tony sighed. "It's an electromagnet, powered by a miniaturised Arc Reactor. It's preventing a cluster of shrapnel from reaching my heart and killing me. That's all it does. It keeps me alive."

Rhodey swallowed. He hadn't been expecting that type of answer. He tried to keep his poker face on. Tony knew he cared. It didn't matter if he didn't show it. "What happened to you out there?"

Tony tapped the reactor in his chest with his fingers. "They attacked. They killed everybody. I tried to hide. And I got blown up. That is all there is to it, Rhodey. I… don't remember much after that. I knew I had been hit… The next thing I remember is waking up in a cave surrounded by terrorists. They had a man there, his name was Yinsen… He… fixed me. Made sure I survived."

"Did you tell them anything?" Rhodey hated asking this question but Tony had a lot of information about the security of the United States _because_ of his involvement as the primary weapon's contractor.

Tony shook his head. "No. They didn't ask me anything."

"They never communicated with us… We didn't know if you were alive at all…" explained Rhodey. "If it wasn't interrogation they wanted you for, was it because of your weapons?"

Tony turned his head away, taking in a deep breath. "They wanted me to build the Jericho. I refused."

"And?" Rhodey prodded. They had seen no evidence that the terrorists had their hands on the new missile tech that Tony had demonstrated prior to his kidnapping.

Tony shrugged non-committedly. "I didn't build it for them. I built something else instead and used it to blow them up and escape."

"That would explain what we found at the site of the explosions on radar," mused Rhodey. "When we found you, I thought you might have something to do with it."

Tony smirked. "It's what I do. They had my weapons. I wasn't going to let them keep them. Blowing them up was the only way I could prevent them from using them on anyone else. I'm just glad you found me… I don't know how much longer I would have survived wondering through the desert."

"I am too," smiled Rhodey. "I only had a few more weeks left here before they were going to call me back home. They gave me the time out here to find you…"

"When can I go home?" Tony asked instantly.

"When you have been cleared for travel and you've been debriefed."

"You just interrogated me."

"Not officially." Rhodey pointed out. "I felt like I was."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Fine. A few days then."

"At least," clarified Rhodey. "It would be more if you had been seriously injured. You're lucky you will be able to leave quite quickly."

Tony shifted in the bed. "Good." His mouth twitched. "I know it has been three months… Who else knows I'm alive?"

"Just us on the base and the Secretary of Defence. He was informed immediately upon your retrieval," answered Rhodey. "I'm going to phone Pepper shortly and tell her, then the same for Obadiah. Once that is done, the Ministry of Defence will release a statement confirming your rescue."

"I want to phone her," stated Tony. "Pepper."

"No. Not yet. Tony… she was pretty upset about what happened. Let me talk to her first. I think she would prefer being told by me rather than you phone her up and surprise her."

"Ok."

It was uncharacteristic of Tony to just accept an answer. If he wanted something he usually got it. Rhodey could see, even from this short conversation, that the experiences his friend had lived through in captivity had changed him. He wasn't going to return to being the Tony Stark Rhodey had once known. He would have to prepare Pepper for that.

After all, she would be dealing with him on a daily basis.

* * *

Pepper's phone rang whilst she was in a board of director's meeting with Obadiah Stane sitting in. She quickly excused herself. Normally she wouldn't take calls during a meeting but as soon as she had seen that it was Rhodey calling she knew she had to answer. She stepped out into the foyer and found a quiet corner, sitting down on a sofa that was facing away from the main doors of the building.

She answered, and spoke quietly into the receiver. "Rhodey? Hello?"

"Pepper." His voice was calm.

His next words stunned her into silence.

"We found him. Tony. He's alive, Pepper."

She felt tears well up in her eyes and she brushed them away. She had to keep herself composed but she didn't want to. She swallowed and spoke quietly. "When?"

"A few hours ago. I wanted to tell you sooner but procedure prevented me from doing so. The Ministry of Defence were alerted as soon as we found him. I've just got permission to phone you. Tony wanted to call you himself… but I didn't think that was a wise thing to do. Hearing his voice may have…shocked you."

It would have done. Rhodey had made the right call.

"He can call you later if you want. He'll be home in a few days."

Pepper felt a tear slide down her cheek. It was mess with the limited make-up she had on but she didn't care about it. "How is he?"

"He's not his usual self, Pepper. I wouldn't expect him to be. He'll put the mask on I think – the one we are both used to seeing. We'll just have to look out for him when he comes back." Rhodey sighed over the phone line. "There's something else you should be aware of. When he was captured he was injured, badly. There is a device in his chest that his captors forced on him which is keeping him alive. He won't let us properly examine it either… We know he was hit by shrapnel from a bomb which is being held at bay by a magnet inside his chest. This is information we won't be giving to the public but I think you needed to know before you see him again."

"Okay." Her cheeks were still wet. "Is there anything I can do?"

Rhodey hesitated. "Just make sure everything is ready for him when he comes home. He's going to need it."

"Do you want me to tell Obadiah? He's in a meeting at the moment… I'm sure he will ask me why I had to leave…" she swallowed. She would need to confide in someone. She would tell Happy. He deserved to know his boss lived.

"After you, Obadiah was my next call. I should really be the one to tell him. He's going to need to prepare a statement for the press when it is announced. That will happen in a few hours, once the MOD has liaised with SI over the press release," explained Rhodey. "Do you want Tony to call you later?"

She wasn't sure. She wanted to see him again rather than hear his voice. "If he wants to, he can. I just don't want to cry when I hear him. I think it would be better to see him… It's been so long."

"I'll leave it up to him. He's asked after you a lot, Pepper, since we found him. I'll phone you as soon as I know when he is flying home. I'm sure he will want you to be there when he lands."

* * *

Later that day, the Ministry of Defence, in liaison with Stark Industries released a joint press release confirming the rescue of Tony Stark. The press release resulted in the SI Headquarters being hounded by journalists for further quotes from Obadiah Stane and from Pepper herself. They were known to be the two people Tony was close to and the media wanted their private reaction to the news.

Pepper refused to speak, explaining she had a lot of work to get finished before Tony's return, whilst Obadiah was quite happy to continue to provide quotes to the press. He even bought a round of drinks for all employees currently on the SI premises in celebration of Tony's impending return.

Nearly a week later it was announced by the Ministry of Defence that Tony Stark was on his way home and he would be landing away at a private airfield before being taken to an undisclosed hospital for checks, which Obadiah had authorised. Though Pepper was aware Tony was meant to go straight to the hospital upon arrival, she knew he had obtained medical help after his rescue and it was likely he probably didn't need to be looked over again.

She had Happy on stand-by on the airfield, with the car, just in case he decided he wanted to go straight home.

When the aircraft carrying Tony Stark home landed, Pepper was standing, waiting in front of Happy as the ramp descended. When she saw Tony begin to make his way down the ramp with the support of Rhodey, she felt her heart stutter and pull. She nearly broke down at the sight of him.

 _Hold it together, Potts._

The last three months of hell didn't matter anymore. All that did was that Tony was finally _home_.

 **-End-**

* * *

 **It is my understanding that Tony was probably flown home quite quickly since he wasn't seriously injured. He probably was checked over and cleared to fly within a few days. I also do not believe Tony or Pepper spoke over the phone before he flew home so I've left it as their reunion happening as it does in the film.**

 **Up next: bridging the gap between Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2. As I have not seen The Incredible Hulk film I cannot cover that film so I will be skipping over that one and heading straight into IM2 territory. I hope to post again soon.**

 **the-writer1988**


End file.
